Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Canada, U.S. to provide further military aid for Ukraine

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Wednesday that Canada will provide Ukraine with 10 replacement barrels to enable the sustainment of M777 howitzer artillery guns.

In a news release, the defence minister said this military aid, valued at approximately 9 million Canadian dollars (7.2 million U.S. dollars), complements Canada's previous donation of M777 howitzers, over 20,000 rounds of compatible artillery ammunition, and the Canadian Armed Forces' training of Ukrainian Forces in the use of this equipment.

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U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that his country is providing Ukraine with a package of additional security assistance worth 1 billion dollars, as well as 225 million dollars' worth of humanitarian assistance.

Biden informed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, of the decision during a telephone conversation, where the U.S. president said the security assistance will include "additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations" in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, according to a statement released by the White House.

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The Ukrainian president will have to negotiate with Russia, and the Europeans will also be present at the negotiating table, bringing security guarantees, visiting French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday at a NATO base in southeastern Romania.

"We want to build peace, which means that at some point the fire must stop and the talks must resume," Macron told a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis after their talks at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

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The United States has provided 4.6 billion dollars worth of military assistance for Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported on Wednesday, citing data from the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.

Since the start of the conflict, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced 11 tranches of military support to Ukraine, the embassy tweeted.